Gov. Tim Walz vowed Monday to put children and classrooms at the forefront in his second term, seizing on a "historic opportunity" with a massive budget surplus to make the largest investments in education in state history.
"My mission as governor is simple: make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids," Walz said at his inauguration ceremony at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. "This is what I have charged my team to do — to make our state the best place to raise a family."
The DFL governor used his swearing-in to look back on his first term and preview his ambitious plans for the next four years, using the historic $17.6 billion budget surplus to fund classrooms, end child poverty, enact a paid leave program and send tax rebate checks to Minnesotans. He plans to release his two-year budget on Jan. 24.
